The time to protest is officially over

The Greyhound (Loyola College-Maryland) ^ | 3/26/03 | Alan Danzis

[NorCoGOP]

BALTIMORE -- Before you finish this column and get ready to fire off some hate mail, I'd like to ask all anti-war protestors to realize that yes, I have read the Bill of Rights and yes I do understand free speech in the United States of America.

That being said, it's now time for you to sit down and shut up.

You lost. We're at war. Deal with it. You want to pray for peace? That's great ... I want peace too. But I want peace when Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz and the other Iraqi regime thugs are dead or standing side-by-side with Slobodan Milosevic at the Hague.

You have every right to protest the war, I get all that. But it doesn't mean you have to. You also have the right to own hundreds of handguns, doesn't mean you have to. Just because you have a right, doesn't mean you have to assert it.

And if you want to get technical about freedom of speech, I have the right to tell you to sit down and stop protesting.

Let's look at some of the arguments you made about why we shouldn't have gone to war:

1. Because the majority of our allies didn't want to. Yeah, okay, we should listen to what France says when they were one of our *cough* allies *cough* that sold Iraq the necessary materials to build weapons of mass destruction in the first place. Don't believe me? Try reading William Safire in the New York Times for the last few weeks. Oh, and what a shock, France said the other day they would help out on the war effort if Saddam launched chemical and biological missiles at our troops. France ... I thought you said he didn't have any of those? Obviously, you at least think it's a possibility ...

2. Because inspections were working. Hans Blix, more concerned about his own job security than telling the truth, hid the fact that Iraq developed a 7-meter long robotic drone capable of dropping chemical bombs on our troops.

He also hailed Saddam Hussein's decision to destroy his Al Samoud 2 missiles as a real step. Destroying them was not good enough because he wasn't supposed to have them in the first place! What if they had found a nuclear weapon? Would he have been given a week to destroy that, too?

3. Because you were afraid of too many civilian casualties. Let me ask you something: how many innocent Afghanis did we kill starting Oct. 11, 2001? Now, how many Afghanis have we liberated from the cruel hand of the Taliban since then? I bet you the first number is a lot smaller than the second one. And the same will hold true for Iraq.

All your anti-war arguments failed. And now, those arguments are even more moot. We have 30 countries on our side (including countries with nothing to gain, like Australia and Poland). The inspectors are out of the country. And the first strikes were not aimed at civilian targets, but at Saddam Hussein himself. So why are you still protesting?

And why weren't you on the streets last Monday and Tuesday urging Saddam Hussein to go into exile? If you truly wanted no war, then why didn't you urge him to do the only thing possible to avert it? Why were you silent on that matter?

What do you hope to gain by still protesting? Do you think we're just going to stop our military incursion? Because nothing would be smarter than as Saddam launches missiles at Kuwait (which may or may not contain chemical and biological agents), the United States pulls its troops out, leaves the Iraqi cities in ruins and allows Saddam to continue lighting his oil wells ablaze.

Why can't you sit down? You want to protest, fine, do it among your friends. But can't we show a united front to the world? Can't we show France and Russia and Germany that America is united behind its president aid its troops?

We're going to win the war in Iraq, there's no doubt, but we might lose face with the rest of the world. It's time to stop protesting and start cheering.

And if not, I promise you anti-war protestors that you're going to see how wrong you were when we discover weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Saddam Hussein and his generals are dead and the people in the streets of Baghdad are cheering, "U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A!"

[Desecrated]

I hope you don't think a little thing like the facts are going to get in the way of Spring Break Protest 2003 do you?

[Calpernia]

Great post. Thought is editorial would add nicely:

TRYING TO HELP
By Dennis Miller


All the rhetoric on whether or not we should go to war against
Iraq has got my insane little brain spinning like a roulette
wheel. I enjoy reading opinions from both sides, but I have
detected a hint of confusion from some of you.

As I was reading the paper recently, I was reminded of the best
advice someone ever gave me. He told me about the KISS method
("Keep it Simple, Stupid"). So, with this as a theme, I'd like to
apply this theory for those who don't quite get it. My hope is
that we can simplify things a bit and recognize a few important
facts.

Here are 10 things to consider when voicing an opinion on this
important issue:

1) President Bush and Saddam Hussein..... Hussein is the bad guy.

2) If you have faith in the United Nations to do the right thing,
keep this in mind. They have Libya heading the Committee on
Human Rights and Iraq heading the Global Disarmament Committee.
Do your own math here.

3) If you use Google Search and type in "French Military
Victories," your reply will be "Did you mean French Military
Defeats?"

4) If your only anti-war slogan is "No war for oil," sue your
school district for allowing you to slip through the cracks and
robbing you of the education you deserve.

5) Saddam and Bin Laden will not seek United Nations approval
before they try to kill us.

6) Despite what some seem to believe, Martin Sheen is NOT the
President. He plays one on T.V.

7) Even if you are anti-war, you are still an "Infidel" and Bin
Laden wants you dead, too.

8) If you believe in a "vast right-wing conspiracy," but not in
the danger that Hussein poses, quit hanging out with the Dell
computer dude.

9) We are not trying to liberate them.

10) Whether you are for military action, or against it, our young
men and women overseas are fighting for us to defend our right to
speak out. We all need to support them without reservation.

I hope this helps.

[Revolting cat!]

This writer, presumably a student, has more brains than all the millionaire pundits in the Washington - New York axis of evil!

[Conspiracy Guy]

(SARCASM) But you did not address the oil issue.

[SquirrelKing]

[cherry_bomb88]

BTTT

Very good article!!!

Too bad most of the protestors can't read because they were out protesting instead of staying in school.

[Ferret Fawcet]

BUMP

[TightSqueeze]

Can't we show France and Russia and Germany that America is united behind its president aid its troops?

It seems to me, people like you weren't concerned about what France, Russia and Germany thought about us before we invaded Iraq, why should the voices of anti-war protest be silenced now, and for what benefit?
Could it be that you are now unable to face those fellow Americans whose loved ones are returning maimed and dead?
Could it be that you are not as committed to the carnage that you are viewing as you were before the war started?
Regardless of the outcome, the voices that oppose this war grow daily, I believe that if the people's voices were silenced the rocks and stones themselves would start to sing. Deal with it.

[talleyman]

I believe that if the people's voices were silenced the rocks and stones themselves would start to sing.

Treason's not enough, you need blasphemy too? How French.

[ohioman]

Shove it up your arse! These protestors are traitorous scum. Are you one of them?

[talleyman]

Treason is as treason does.

[cherry_bomb88]

WE CAN face our dead, and look at them with honor and regard, and look at how the families of those dead react...Hate to break it to you tightsqueeze...but the numbers supporting are growing daily...and your protesting isn't going to stop it....I have another point to answer:

2. Because inspections were working. Hans Blix, more concerned about his own job security than telling the truth, hid the fact that Iraq developed a 7-meter long robotic drone capable of dropping chemical bombs on our troops.

He also hailed Saddam Hussein's decision to destroy his Al Samoud 2 missiles as a real step. Destroying them was not good enough because he wasn't supposed to have them in the first place! What if they had found a nuclear weapon? Would he have been given a week to destroy that, too?

Well, if you found pot or drugs in your kid's room and they destroyed it would you just ignore that they weren't supposed to have it in the first place??? Oh wait, you peaceniks smoke pot with your kid's...let me turn it another way....if you found a gun in your kid's room with a note that they were going to shoot someone and they destroyed them, would you just ignore it????????????????????????????????????????????????

[facedown]

bump

[TigersEye]

The protesters haven't quit.

The most disturbing complaint came last Friday, ... A female sergeant claims she was confronted by teenagers outside a convenience store near Plainfield. (VT)

... Lt. Col. Scott Stirewalt ... speaks of the incident:

"And as she was walking to her car, there were various profanities directed in her direction, along the line of 'profanity murderer, profanity baby killer', and then it culminated with some of the individuals threw rocks at her and as testament to her discipline professionalism she got in her car and left the area."

[Constitution Day]

BUMP!

[TigersEye]

The rocks have already started to sing. See post #16. Do you want some of that?

[cherry_bomb88]

OMG....Daschle just stated "I can now support the war b/c our coalition is growing and we have sufficent support"...lmfao....btw...tightsqueeze....thought you said the protestors' numbers were growing????? Your own "leaders" are deserting you!!!!!!!!

[BibChr]

all bow down to official me!

Good one. That would be the knee-jerk immature idiot response{tm}, wouldn't it? In other words...

"Wahhh! You can't make me!!"

Dan

[cherry_bomb88]

OK OK..... Who left the toilet seat up and let the liberals crawl up out of the sewer into our world????

[BibChr]

Perhaps if you read the rest of the column? Slowly?

You'd see that, while he expressed himself humorously... he's right.

Dan

[cherry_bomb88]

(((((((((ping)))))))))))

Thought you guys might like this article....also it appears someone left the toilet seat up and the liberals have crawled out and invaded our threads...."you want a piece of me" ....lol...

[cherry_bomb88]

ping

[Lokibob]

I just wish the protesters (both pro and anti war) would shut up and do something productive.

As I am in the pro camp, I have volunteered my time and energy to the V.A. hospital. In addition, I have contacted a National Guard wife and told her that anything she needs, from Babysitting to shopping for her, I'd be willing to do. She asked me to make the air conditioner ready for summer and I started that process.

The anti-war protesters could volunteer with the Red Cross, collect food donations for the Iraqui people (not the military, I'd hope), roll bandages. Anything productive. They will not do that, because it is a lot harder than lieing down on the street and getting tv time.

I faced an anti war demonstrater who said he was supporting the troops but was against the war. I challenged him to go with me to the V.A. hospital and volunteer his time (just one day) to prove that he was for the troops. Of course, he refused.

[thewah]

yeah NY elected Hillery, the next load noise we'll hear out of that state will be them pulling there head out of there arse

[oyez]

the voices that oppose this war grow daily,

No their not. There's just more bus charters from farther away..

[duckln]

But I want peace when Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz and the other Iraqi regime thugs are dead or standing side-by-side with Slobodan Milosevic at the Hague.

The writer must be a student and his education is lacking. Why hasen't Milo been exonerated after a year before the 'tribunal', where the NATO 'thug' prosecuters have yet to present a case? Yugoslavia was in the forefront fighting Islamists that were undermining Kosovo.

[duckln]

But I want peace when Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz and the other Iraqi regime thugs are dead or standing side-by-side with Slobodan Milosevic at the Hague.

The writer must be a student and his education is lacking. Why hasen't Milo been exonerated after a year before the 'tribunal', where the NATO 'thug' prosecuters have yet to present a case? Yugoslavia was fighting Islamists that were undermining Kosovo!

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the ping. Good read.

[cherry_bomb88]

Lok,

In some ways I agree with you. However....the presence of the anti war protestors (because they will never give up) necessitates the presence of the rallies for the troops (besides the fact that it's nice just to rally for the troops). Could you imagine the field day the press would have if the only people out on the streets were the protestors??? And what about the morale of the troops if that was all they saw???? Support the troops rallies are a necessity for morale, with or without protestors.

But, you are right....we should do more, which is why many of us write to as many people as we can keep up with, get involved in politics to ensure that people are in office that will do the right thing, send care packages, tie yellow ribbons, support the military families and volunteer our assistance like you do, do WHATEVER we can think of in ways we are comfortable to suppor the troops.

I know at times the constant exchange of words is juvinelle, but when emotions come in to play, that's what happens. Both sides have strong feelings about the issues. But, yes, shut up or put up.

[BibChr]

Call it what you want: it's time to voice loud support for the President and our troops at best, or to shut the heck up at least. Read the article.

Dan

[jiggyboy]

the voices that oppose this war grow daily

Nope, sorry, you're on a news site with an informed audience, not a street corner -- we have three posts today talking about how the anti-American protests are winding down.

[TightSqueeze]

...we have three posts today talking about how the anti-American protests are winding down.

Guess it all depends on what propaganda machine you have your ear to, the first casualty of war is truth.

[jedwardtremlett]

"That being said, it's now time for you to sit down and shut up."

Jarwol, mein fuhrer! (heelclick!)

/sarcasm

I think the author of this piece is just cranky. Why doesn't he want to see them have their say in things in public? We didn't stop being a Democracy when the guns started going off.

I think they're wrong, and I think the people who are instigating some of this stuff (ANSWER, in particular) should be investigated, and I think the violent protests need to be cracked down on. But there's a place for peaceful, civil protest in a Democracy.

Put it another way: was the author being silent when we were in Haiti, Somalia or Kosovo?

J

[jedwardtremlett]

"That being said, it's now time for you to sit down and shut up."

Jarwol, mein fuhrer! (heelclick!)

/sarcasm

I think the author of this piece is just cranky. Why doesn't he want to see them have their say in things in public? We didn't stop being a Democracy when the guns started going off.

I think they're wrong, and I think the people who are instigating some of this stuff (ANSWER, in particular) should be investigated, and I think the violent protests need to be cracked down on. But there's a place for peaceful, civil protest in a Democracy.

Put it another way: was the author being silent when we were in Haiti, Somalia or Kosovo?

J

[jedwardtremlett]

oops! Sorry about the double post. My server is also being cranky...

[Minty]

These people are going to get us all in trouble.

[ladyinred]

It helps me! If you don't mind, I am stealing a couple of those for posters for the rally's on Friday nights!
Good post!

[Calpernia]

The source is Dennis Miller. I say use it! That is why we have these forums. To share info. Good luck in the rally. Freep Mail me if you need anything.

Cal.

[jiggyboy]

Guess it all depends on what propaganda machine you have your ear to

Or whether you prefer a propaganda machine to what you've seen with your own eyes...